


Three Threads Woven

by avacash



Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Lesbians, Modern AU, Modern Era, Multi, Polyamory, The wheel weaves as the wheel wills, and the wheel wills lots of lesbians, i'm in lesbians with you, thank the light
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 22:58:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5023867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avacash/pseuds/avacash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the unfortunate demise of their husband, Min, Elayne, and Aviendha each pursue their own paths in life. However, the wheel weaves as the wheel wills, and their paths are forever intertwined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aviendha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aviendha gives up smoking.

"Avi, haven't seen you in a while."

Golden hair pinned at the nape of her neck, knotted in the figure of a rose, Elayne was the figure of elegance, as ever. Her face sagged slightly with lines of sadness, and the immense age that had been incurred in these last few weeks of torment. However, her mouth was set in a smile, and her posture upright, quite unlike the sobbing form she had been mere days ago. Perhaps a weight had been lifted from her shoulders- aside from the literal fashion, as she pushed her twins in a stroller before herself.

Aviendha knelt, and smiled down at the little babies. Both asleep, they wore white, matching their mother's sleek gown. "Well, we've both been busy, apparently." She prodded one of their little hands, and the child unconsciously grasped her finger. "Did you decide on names yet?"

"Birgitte and Gawyn Junior." Elayne looked down at her children, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "What else could I call them?"

Aviendha opened her mouth, but no words came out. The bells of the church rang loudly, drowning out her hoarse attempt at a response. Elayne quickly obliged the ringing bells, and turned the stroller around. Together, Elayne and Aviendha walked towards the open doors of the chapel. 

Empty, for the most part, the chapel was cold, and unwelcoming. An empty coffin had an ominous presence, sitting at the center of the room on a pedestal, radiating discomfort. Upon entering the room, the twins both woke, and the little girl began to scream and cry. With the desperation of any new mother, Elayne picked up her daughter, and gently rocked her back to comfort. Holding her daughter in her arms, she brought her son in the stroller up to the front, right before the coffin representative of their father.

Aviendha and Elayne took their seats. Still holding her baby daughter in her arms, Elayne leaned back. Aviendha saw her best friend's eyes glaze over, her mouth set in a smile that was just too pretty to be real. The makeup around her eyes was smeared, she noted, as was that under her nose and around her lips. Knowing that Elayne was still upset, that she still cried, that was devastating. Aviendha felt her own smile crack, and tore her eyes away from Elayne's face, only to find herself glaring at the coffin.

Elayne set Birgitte back in the stroller, and methodically rocked her back and forth. Gawyn began to whine, twisting his little pink face into a knot. With a reluctant sigh, Elayne lifted Gawyn from his seat, and held him up. "Avi, can you take-"

With a jolt, Aviendha stood. "I'll be right back." Eyes still fixated on the coffin, she bustled down the aisle, hurrying out as quickly as she had entered. A crowd had gathered. As she forced her way through the incoming masses, Aviendha heard a smothering amount of condolences coming from the mouths of strangers. None had any impact.

Finding herself suddenly in the tree grove just past the chapel, Aviendha shoved a hand into her pocket. Shaking, she withdrew a box of cigarettes, and flicked it open. Pulling one out, Aviendha rooted through her opposite pocket for a lighter, and eventually, lit the cigarette. It took a moment, as both of her hands shook almost uncontrollably. Shoving the lighter back into her pocket, Aviendha took in a deep breath. The taste overwhelmed her senses, and she closed her eyes to further intensify that feeling. Choking back a cough, Aviendha breathed out a ream of smoke, exhaling with it her anxiety.

Aviendha placed a hand on her belt, and felt around the leather for her badge. Instead, the cool metal of her gun shocked her fingers on contact, and she opened her eyes. Seeing the cigarette in her hand, she dropped it immediately, stomping it out with the heel of her boot. Shaking out the tension in her shoulders, Aviendha clenched her hands into fists. Shoving one fist into her pocket, she pulled out the pack, and glared down at it.

"It'll either be you or that badge that gets me killed..." She muttered, under her breath, staring at the label of the smokes. The colors of it swam before her eyes, and she shut them again. All she could see behind her eyelids was not darkness, but a face. 

Aviendha felt a familiar hand placed on her shoulder, and smiled. The light, pleasant voice whispered, "Are you alright?" She opened her eyes, and found that her own hand rested on her shoulder. No one was there. 

Taking a step back, Aviendha's heel crunched on the pack of cigarettes that she had dropped. Raising one hand to her neck, Aviendha fingered the silver snowflakes hidden behind her neatly starched collar. Gritting her teeth, and squeezing the chain in between her fingers, she was barely able to withhold tears. 

The church bells rang again, snapping Aviendha out of this odd mood. Snapping her hands to her sides, the woman took a deep breath, and resumed her calm. Not hesitating, but not rushing, Aviendha made her way back into the church.

Reaching the chapel, Aviendha found that the entirety of the room was flooded with people. Some she recognized, some she did not. All knew who she was, though, and nodded their heads in respect. Awkward and alone, Aviendha did not make eye contact with anyone, instead staring straight ahead, finally taking a seat beside Elayne.

The golden haired mother held an expression of worry in the creases of her forehead, while she held in her arms both of her tiny, golden haired children. Offering reassurance in the form of a genuine smile, Aviendha was gladdened to see Elayne's shoulders relax. Both of the women were shocked, though, when a voice echoed in the hall.

"Hi, everyone. I'm not a fan of public speaking, so I'm going to keep this brief."

Min's hair, formerly cropped to her shoulders, now sported an undercut, carelessly left unstyled. Dark eyes accented by the white outfit she wore, Min appeared stoic and calm. Her fingers, tapping on the podium behind which she stood, gave her nervousness away. Aviendha felt her smile disappear as she made eye contact with Min. They had not seen each other in several weeks, but that connection between the two, the unspoken feeling of mutual respect, admiration, and love, gave the both of them strength to go on- Aviendha not to break down, and Min, to speak.


	2. Elayne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elayne goes back to work.

Elayne's reflection stared at her, with a grimace of ridicule. Her heeled shoes were a half a size too small, skin ballooning over the top like a pair of ugly beige cupcakes. The buttons of her jacket and shirt strained the cloth, pulling the garments a bit too tight, both constricting her breathing and accentuating the pounds she had gained recently. The pencil skirt which flattered her curves so well only barely hid the stretch marks now covering her thighs. Her hair, tied back in a prim bun, refused to stay put, blonde curls coming loose in scores, so much that half her hairstyle felt glued on, uselessly so. As a final nail in the coffin, though her makeup had been applied with care, she still could see the wrinkles beneath, the spots of age shining through, mocking her efforts.

Taking a deep breath in, she smiled, putting on the mask that she hoped no one would notice. A cry echoing from the hall broke her concentration, and she raced out of the bathroom in a haste.

In the living room, her mother and stepfather sat together, each holding a baby. Morgase seemed to have no qualms with the child she held, as it was quiet and calm in her arms. Martyn, on the other hand, held his as far away from his body as he could, as the child had just retched up its breakfast on his nice red jacket. A disgruntled look marred his face, though he appeared more annoyed at his wife than disgusted at the child, as Morgase's shoulders bounced with silent laughter. 

"Not too comfortable with kids, are you, Tallanvor?" Elayne smirked, and took the baby from him. The baby Gawyn let out a soft whine, and she rocked him gently to calm him down.

Martyn tried to smile, but did not suppress a glare towards Morgase. "I've asked you to call me Martyn, Elayne. I did take your mom's name." He held out his arms, and took the child back from Elayne, and tried holding him close. Receiving no negative response, he let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just not familiar with them. Morgase will you stop?"

Morgase grinned, and shook her head. "Sorry, it's just fun to watch you flail sometimes." She leaned over, and kissed Martyn on the cheek, being sure not to disturb either child. His cheeks flushed, whether from embarrassment or love, Elayne could not be sure. Either way, it brought a much more genuine smile to her face.

"Mom, you know where the diapers are, right? And Gawyn's pacifiers? And the phone number of my office?" Elayne hurried over to her mother's side, and took a temporary seat. Bending over her legs, she adjusted her shoes slightly. Before sitting up, though, she leaned towards the little Birgitte in her mother's arms, and brushed a blonde curl out of the way, to kiss her daughter on the forehead.

Morgase put a hand on Elayne's shoulder, and helped her sit up. "Honey, I've done this several times. Yes, we've gone over everything, several times. And I used to work there, remember?" A chuckle, and she continued softly. "Everything will be fine, darling. You need not worry." Lifting the hand from Elayne's shoulder to her temple, she brushed back a few of the stray strands, and smiled reassuringly.

"Right." Elayne threw back her head, and looked up at the ceiling with a smile. Her mother's hand fell away from her face. Clearing her throat, she straightened her back and head, and stood. "I'm just nervous, mom. Thanks for your help." 

Morgase shook her head, and waved a hand dismissively. "You too, Martyn." Martyn's smile twitched a bit wider, and his eyes followed Elayne out the door.

"Darling, there's a surprise waiting for you in the driveway!" Morgase's voice faded as Elayne walked outside.

An old car sat in the drive, bits of rust crawling up its edges. The formerly red paint had faded to a light brown, peeling slightly in some places. A Chevy Corvette from the 60's, it was a hallmark car, if for more than just that reason. The sentiment, however, gave the vehicle so much more value. 

Upon seeing Bela- as Rand used to call her- Elayne's hands shot up to her face, to cover her mouth. A look of glee crossed her face, and she raced over to the car with a new spring in her step. Opening the car door, she was immediately met with its all too familiar musky stench, and she plopped into the seat with a grin, discarding her jacket in the passenger's seat. Finding the keys in the cupholder, Elayne hesitated before turning the ignition.

Funnily, it had probably been several years since Rand had actually driven his car. He kept loaning Bela out to people all the time, letting her get passed around all over the place. Yet, somehow, Bela still smelled a little bit like him, bringing back fond memories of old times.

Starting the car, Elayne marveled at the sputter of the engine, and backed out of the drive, reveling in the sound of the tires bumping along the rocky pavement surrounding her little house. Even on the newly paved road, though, the car initially had a rough time, having been out of use for a while since Rand's death. However, after just a few minutes, the old girl drove smoothly. 

The path to the governor's office at City Hall was familiar to Elayne, as she had driven there with her mother nearly every business day as a child, meaning to eventually follow in her footsteps. Here she was, surprisingly, ready to take on the role. On autopilot, she took the usual route without missing a beat, despite there being detours in multiple places along the way, for reasons she disregarded. There were more important things to worry about.

The roads were more bumpy the closer to City Hall she got, as they grew older and older, eventually becoming cobblestone streets, of narrow, winding paths. Finally, she found the building, in the center of the downtown area. Circling the block a few times to look for a parking spot, it took Elayne several minutes to remember that she had a designated spot in front of the building. It was odd, parking Rand's car in her mother's parking space. 

Sitting back in the car, Elayne shut her eyes. Breathing deeply, she put on the smile and her jacket, and pocketed her keys in her skirt. Pockets are important, and she refused to wear anything without them. 

After a full minute of preparing herself for the onslaught of the outside world, Elayne opened the door, and stood. The smoky smell of the city skies filled her with a sense of familiarity and comfort, which immediately relaxed some of the tension she did not know she held in her muscles. Sounds of bustling people ready for work, of cars whirring past, dogs barking at the wind, all of it contributed to an atmosphere in which she felt the most comfort. The mask she wore, that fake smile, became real in that moment, as she realized that she wanted to go to work.

A tall, brooding man stood by the door to the building, his back perfectly straight and his face perfectly stern. However, upon seeing Elayne, that glare burst into a grin. "Miss Trakand! It feels like I haven't seen you in years! Is your mother well? And congratulations on the kids!" His voice boomed, just as familiar as all of the other sounds and smells surrounding her. 

"Yes, she's doing well. And thank you." With a nod, the doorman buzzed her into the building. 

With each step further into the corridor, Elayne breathed a little easier, her anxiety and nervousness melting away. At the top of the stairs at the end of the hall, she came upon her destination, her new office. Big wooden doors blocked the way.

A janitor passed by her, and offered a toothy smile. "You going in there? It's been locked for- Oh, Miss Trakand! It's good to see you!"

It was only then that Elayne realized she had forgotten to retrieve the keys from her desk. 


	3. Min

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Min tries to eat a bagel.

The bed felt empty, so she opted to sleep on the sofa. 

It had been several days since the funeral, and several weeks since she had last seen Rand. She had been with him until the very end, fighting alongside him for years. A soldier, she never rose through the ranks as well as he, but she fought just as hard. Their mutual want- no, need- to fight was just one of many things that brought them together. Min had been with Rand the longest, and losing him felt like she had lost those years of her life, though in the past few days, she felt as though she had aged as many.

The day after he died, she could not sleep. Lying on an empty bed, alone, it was an unfamiliar thing to her, so she simply curled into a ball, and waited for morning. On the way home, she was exhausted, but still could not sleep. Upon arriving at her old, strange apartment, she realized how difficult sleep would become. By now, one might expect her to have learned to sleep alone, but Min found it almost impossible to sleep at all. The dreams, mainly, were the cause of that- little scenes, brief moments of wondering. Had she done something different, would he still be alive?

Now, she was in a ditch. The trenches. Just her, and Rand, both stranded without any weaponry, without any aid. In any romance novel, or movie, or anything like that, they would have been expected to kiss, but that was no romance. Instead, they talked of plans, of ideas on how to rejoin their group, how to safely cross to the next station, what to do, how not to die. That insignificant hour of panic, of sounds of crossfire and shouts and screams all around. 

"Do you trust me?" 

His voice was muted, distorted. At first, she thought it was because of the chaos all around them, but as he kept talking, the words became incoherent, though his tone became more insistent. She reached forward, to pull him closer, to understand what he was saying, but as her arms moved toward him, the world shrank away. Everything warped into a sort of tunnel vision, as Rand smiled, and lowered his helmet. He began to run, and so did she. He disappeared, though, into the horizon, into the chaos, while she descended into nothingness.

Min woke from the dream groggily, and glanced at the clock on the wall. Only three hours had passed since she had settled on the couch, the longest night of rest yet. Neither the sun nor the rest of the building was up yet, but the traffic and the lights outside still roared brightly. 

Her white dress was draped carelessly over one of the stools at the island of her kitchen, and she wiped the cold sweat of her hands on it as she passed. Not even bothering to turn on the lights, she hissed at the blaring brightness of the refrigerator when she opened the door. The sight was an unpleasant one, as Min lived like a bachelor; the contents were barren, even for a single person. A jar of mustard, a few tomatoes, and some spoiled milk, nothing else. Disgruntled and weary, Min let out a quiet groan, and slammed the door shut. In response, the milk in the door sloshed loudly. 

Min considered for a moment heading straight out in her current state, before she remembered that she was not wearing any pants. Still half asleep, she wandered back to her bedroom, and kicked the door open. Most of her clothes were scattered all over the floor, as she had rooted through them to find a dress appropriate for the occasion of her boyfriend's funeral. She had ended up having to run to a little outlet a few blocks away to buy that white dress, which she swore she would never wear again. It was much too clingy and revealing. 

One pair of sweatpants, one tank top, and one heavy jacket later, Min left her apartment. She was out of the building before she realized that she had forgotten shoes, but a moment later, she forgot to care, as her calluses were thick enough to compensate for the lack of slippers. 

A 24 hour cafe just down the street welcomed Min, as she shuffled in lazily. The waitress on duty hardly noticed her entrance, as she was barely awake herself. Min waited several minutes before clearing her throat, and catching the attention of the barista. Walking behind the counter, the waitress coughed a few times, and mumbled some sort of greeting to the earliest- or latest, depending on how one thinks about it- customer of the day. 

"Bagel, and some coffee. Doesn't matter what kind."

The waitress nodded, and shrank behind the counter, searching through the baked goods for some not stale piece of pastry. She hummed something for a moment, before standing up again. "Coffee first, then." Robotically, she began to go through the motions of making coffee. "Cream, sugar?"

"Black." Min scrunched up her nose, and bent over a bit to look at the nearly empty cabinet of pastries. As she searched, she could not find a single bagel. Croissants, tarts, and other sweet goods were all over the place, but there was not one bagel that she could find. Sourbread, english muffins, biscuits, but no bagels. "No bagels?"

The waitress shook her head, and Min felt an irrationally hot anger boiling up within herself. Retaining an outer calm, she took the coffee, and paid quietly, and left the cafe. Shuffling on the sidewalk away from her apartment, out into the town, Min wondered where she might be able to find a bagel. Two cafes and three general stores later, she found herself still without a bagel, though she had acquired five more cups of coffee. The caffeine finally kicked in, and woke her up almost completely. 

It was only after that sixth cup that Min realized where she had ended up. She stared up at the police station across the street, the lights blindingly bright, the people within clearly exhausted. Turning around, though, she recognized the building in front of which she stood, and relaxed into a smile. The crotchety apartment complex was old enough that one need not be buzzed in to enter, though a key for each individual apartment was still obviously necessary. 

Min climbed the stairs wearily, clutching the railing with both hands as she did, for she could not quite see the path ahead, having neglected to bring her glasses, or to put in her contacts. On the fourth floor, she wandered over to the third room on the hall, and considered knocking. Not wanting to disturb the tenant, she instead simply brought out her own keyring, and attempted to unlock the apartment door. 

Aviendha had changed the locks.

Bitterer now than ever, Min lost any pretenses, and raised her fist, ready to wake Avi. However, before she could knock, she remembered Aviendha's cautious tendencies, and pushed herself up onto her toes, raising her hand to the top of the doorframe. Much to her satisfaction, Min discovered the spare key, and unlocked the door as quietly as she could. 

If Min's apartment was a mess, Aviendha's living room could only be quantified as a disaster. However, there was a sense of order within the chaos, and Min easily spotted the path to her goal. Gingerly tiptoeing around piles of things, clothes, DVDs, and the like, Min made her way to the kitchen. In complete contrast with the previous room, the kitchen was rather spartan in design, though well stocked. To her delight, Min soon discovered that which she had came for- a bag of bagels, though not yet halved. Thusly, she began to search for a knife.

A floorboard creaked, and Min's heart jumped to her throat. Finding the board filled with blades, Min drew out the large bread knife, and held it up, ready to strike the intruder. A moment passed before she realized that she was the intruder, and so, she lowered the knife. As soon as the knife clattered onto the kitchen counter, though, Aviendha tackled Min, and she watched sadly as both she and the bag of bagels clattered to the ground.

Pinning Min's hands to the tile with her own, and sitting on her stomach to keep her down, Aviendha suppressed a shout into a weary, panicked whisper. "What the hell are you doing in my apartment?"

Min let out a chuckle, and flexed her feet, being the only things she could move at the moment. "I just want a bagel." A moment passed, and she felt the weight of Aviendha lifted off of her stomach. Another moment, and the lights flickered on.

Aviendha, like Min, wore little to sleep. A shirt and shorts, and apparently, her badge and gun. Her face was lined with exhaustion, along with some other sort of sickness. "Min." Her voice had some mix of relief, and annoyance, in addition to its usual richness, though she sounded a bit hoarse. Aviendha took a step closer to Min, and set her revolver on the kitchen counter. "Min, what the fuck."

Min knelt to the ground, and picked up the bag of bagels. Wordlessly, she pulled one out, and set it on the counter, and began to slice it carefully in half. "The cafe was out, and I was hungry."

"You could have called! Or, you know, waited until a decent hour to come by! How did you even get in-" Aviendha threw her hands up in frustration, then let one flop back to her side. "You know what? I don't even care." With the other hand, she grabbed her revolver, and tucked it into the waistband of her shorts. "I'm going back to bed."

Min looked down at her bagel, which she had begun to butter, then up at the retreating figure of her groggy friend, and frowned. "Sophie's choice." Her mutter did not reach Aviendha's ears. In the following seconds, she reached an internal compromise, and let out a sigh. Setting down the bagel, she quickly wrapped it in a paper towel, for later consumption. After a moment of regret, she followed after Aviendha, turning out the lights as she walked.

"Avi, you know you don't have to sleep with your gun, right? I mean, no one's going to kill you in your dreams or anything. You..." She trailed off upon reaching Aviendha's master room, as the bed was empty. "Avi, you alright?" Min heard the sounds of retching from the bathroom, and sprinted in, jumping over the bed to reach Aviendha as quickly as possible.

Hunched over the toilet, Aviendha's face was buried in the seat, both hands perched on the edge. Min rushed to her, and with one hand, gently gathered up her hair, and held it back, as Aviendha vomited in between groans of misery. Silent, without a single sarcastic quip, Min placed her free hand on Aviendha's back, trying to soothe her as she brought up the entire contents of her stomach. Several minutes of this passed, before Aviendha finally stopped, and sat back. Min released her hair, which took longer than expected, given the amount of knots and tangles in the mess.

"Are you sick?" Aviendha shook her head, and Min felt Avi's forehead with the back of her hand. "You feel a bit hot..."

"I think I caught some bug at the funera... been puking for days. I can still go work, they need me." Min raised an eyebrow, and Aviendha waved a hand dismissively, leaning her head back, against the tiled walls. "Just need to sleep it off. I'm fine. Help me get back in bed."

Min obliged, standing up quickly, and offering her hand to Aviendha. Pulling her up, Min offered a shoulder for her to lean on, and guided her in the dark towards the bed. Just like the rest of her apartment, the furniture was minimalist in design, but just comfortable enough. The mattress, though, was rather hard, and Min found the lack of pillows somewhat disturbing. However, Avi quickly relaxed once lying down, and that brought a smile to Min's face. "I'll just head out, then, Avi. Hope you feel-"

"Can you stay with me?" Aviendha sat up, and looked at Min, squinting, peering through the dark at the awkward figure almost out the door. "I don't like being alone."

Min nodded, then realized that Aviendha could not see her. "Oh- Yeah, yeah, of course." Min spoke in the sort of whisper of a person who does not quite know how to whisper correctly. She took off the heavy coat she was wearing, and dropped it carelessly on the floor. Stretching her arms above her head, Min sat down on the edge of the bed, and looked over her shoulder at Avienda. Already, she was falling back to sleep, and Min felt a smile spreading across her own face. Quietly swinging her legs onto the bed, she pulled the sheets and covers over herself, and moved closer to Aviendha.

"C'mere, you're warm." Aviendha pulled Min close, and laid her head on Min's chest, embracing her with one lazy arm.

Min closed her eyes, and gently stroked Avi's hair with one hand. At the same time, she wrapped one leg around Aviendha's, bringing her close enough that neither risked falling off of the narrow bed. Min felt herself drifting within minutes, and with one last moment of clarity, muttered, "Good night, Avi."

Avi only gave a muffled snore in response.


	4. Aviendha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aviendha drinks some tea.

Of all the desks in the department, hers was the most disturbingly bare. No personal affects save for a pair of pictures in tiny frames adorned its surface. The papers, the tools, everything else was compartmentalized into neat piles, or stored away in the drawers. Everything, set squarely as if to fit into a grid, save for the two pictures placed at an odd angle, seemed to point towards the idea of a neat freak, or obsessive compulsive tendencies. When accused of either playfully by her coworkers, though, Aviendha only met the words with a shrug. One only had to see her apartment to know that her neatness did not extend past the threshold of her front door.

Perhaps one reason for the barren state of the desk was the fact that it had only been in use for a few weeks, not yet broken in by the new detective. Having just passed the test a month before, Avi was the newest on the force, and rarely treated any better than any regular old beat cop. All of her cases fell under the jurisdiction of predictable, or flat out boring. One could blame this lack of interesting challenge on the other officers' pity for her having lost her love, but few actually knew much of her personal life. No, this disrespect was solely due to the department's general distrust of Avi, as she had yet to prove herself. Of course, this proved rather difficult, as she was never assigned any cases which would allow her to show her worth.

Having trained in the academy too many years ago, before being drafted, none her coworkers felt she had earned their respect as a police officer. As a soldier, sure, but not yet as a cop.

The newest case presented was nothing special, to no one's shock. To her credit, Aviendha took these menial jobs in stride, wrapping up work quickly enough to boost her case numbers past the statistics of her deskmates.

This one featured a barely legal kid, whose carelessness led to his being caught possessing cocaine with the intent to sell. Though it was still a bad charge, it was a relief to Aviendha that she was not dealing with a user. _Still odd,_ she wagered, _it's rare to find a kid dealer who's not using. He'll be easier to reason with, at the very least._

Plucking out the necessary paperwork, she thumbed through the pages, noting where she might be able to sway the kid. It was considered a bad habit by many of the others in her work that she always felt the need to try to get the offenders to understand what they had done wrong, and repent. Her superiors considered it an unnecessary waste of time, though they had no place to stop her, as she still completed all of the paperwork on time, with satisfying results.

She stood, and scanned the room. The station had only two states; bustling with activity, or quiet, with the occasional ringing phone. Today, the latter reigned, lending to her sanity. The holding room had the same lack of sound, but a different mood. An icy stillness held the kid in perpetual worry, as he sat rigid and upright, waiting for the cop to give him hell. Instead, she gave him tea.

Not much of a coffee person, Aviendha sipped her own tea, some oolong blend with honey and lemon, while giving the kid a chocolate chai with a tablespoon of sugar. Just the sort of thing every kid might enjoy. She walked in, and took a seat, passing the boy his mug with a smile, before leaning back. For a few minutes, they sat there, still. The cop sipping her tea, glancing at her watch every now and again, the boy warily eyeing the steam rising from the mug labeled "World's Best Aunt". Of course, he was the first to speak.

"I ain't drinking that shit." The boy folded his arms, closing himself off from Aviendha. "And I ain't saying nothing to perjure myself."

She set down her nearly empty  mug, and chuckled. "That's a big word, perjure."

"I'm eighteen. I know big words."

He huffed, looking away from Aviendha. She waited a moment, before asking her first question. "Do you want anything else to drink? I've got coffee- it's terrible though- water, soda, orange juice?" The boy perked up at the last, and Aviendha smiled. "I'll be right back, then."

In a moment, she returned with a glass filled with orange juice, pulp free. The boy resigned to defeat, and accepted the glass, downing nearly half of it in his first few gulps. Aviendha patiently waited for him to hydrate, before asking her next question. "What do you want to happen, here?"

The boy looked confused, his jaw tensing, and his eyes narrowing in doubt. It was likely that no cops had ever asked him what he wanted, such a vague and open ended question. The kid was black, from the poorer parts of town, the ghetto not too far from the station. His track record was filled with multiple incidents which in all likelihood unfortunate moments of bad luck. This was the first mark on his documents that consisted of any real substance. And it was the first since he had turned eighteen. When one becomes an adult, suddenly, the world decides they must be on their own, as society so pressures us day in and day out. It is a forgettable truth that we must rely on the help of others, and depend on the compassion of family, friends, and strangers alike, to survive. With this question, Aviendha gave the boy an opportunity he had never been offered before- an opportunity few are offered in this dismal world. The opportunity to trust, and ask for help. 

After his deliberation, the boy spoke. "I didn't know what I was doing when I got that stuff. I needed some money, quick, to pay rent. So I did something stupid. I want to go home, but even if I got out of here free as hell, I'd still be booted out of my place at the end of the month. I got no job." He took a breath. "I don't know. I got nothing."

Aviendha nodded, and pondered for a moment. After a minute of silence, the boy began to fidget, a sign that he wanted her to speak. "So you want money, to pay rent. But you need consistent income, to support yourself, not just a one-off stunt like this." She raised the little bag of cocaine, inconspicuously hidden in her sleeve previously, and shook it. At the sight of it, the boy's forehead creased, and his jaw relaxed, his chin dropping a smidgen. His eyes cast their gaze downward, only looking up once the evidence was stowed away once again. He felt sorry, it seemed, and not just for getting caught. There was genuine remorse for a harmful action.

"You also want to go home." He nodded. "I would say that you need money, but you don't need to go home, just yet. I think..." He leaned forward as she paused. "I think I can help you out."

"What's the catch? I ain't saying nothing about nobody, I don't want to be ostracized." Another big word. "I want to be safe." 

She nodded again, her idea- that he might be able to inform her of his seller, collect the reward, and be released from custody for his aid- having just been swiped away. Her eyes and mind wandered for a moment, as she considered the situation.  _He's smart enough to prioritize, so if he's scared, there's a good reason. And pressuring him will just make things worse..._

Then an idea struck, as did a renewed grin.

"You don't have to name any names, kid. It's my job as an officer to keep you safe, not to purposefully endanger your life." The kid looked shocked.  _Poor thing._ "All you have to do is tell me where you got this stuff. Not from who, but where. As in both the physical location, and the means. That's all I want."

"And then?" The disbelief was clear in his voice.

"And then, I'll let you go." The boy slumped back in his chair, his face set in a frown, eyes focused on the now empty glass of orange juice. "Do you want some time to think it over?"

He shook his head. "If I think too much, I'll realize the trick here. I'd rather believe you're not shitting me." Aviendha nodded. "Corner of Imfaral and Seander. Delivered in a hat, on a table outside."

"Now you're shitting me. You're not saying the Seanchan-"

"The what now?"

"Kid, you're in luck. The Seanchan drug cartel is one of the major cases in the station right now. Last week, the task force let a major offender go, because he knew the name of a higher up in the organization. I'd bet you're going to have your slate wiped clean- this is big."

"I don't get it."

"This is the first confirmation we've had that drugs are indeed coming from Seanchan territory." His eyes widened. "Don't worry, you're safe."

"Not really. Even if you let me go, what'm I supposed to do?"

Aviendha paused, but realized the solution quickly. "Do you like books?"

"Yeah."

"I've got friends at the library on Cairhien. They're understaffed. I'll call, you just show up tomorrow morning."

The boy seemed stunned. "How can you just guarantee something like that? I don't have any experience- dunno that Dewey Decimal shit."

"Just show up." With that, Aviendha stood. "You're free to go, just sign out at the front desk. I'll call ahead."

After calling, Aviendha finally noticed her own confidence. This was a victory- and a big one. A leap of faith told her that this was her ticket out of vice, and into narcotics. This was her chance to earn that detective's shield. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for, the first step, to join the task force. She felt a swell of pride, something unfamiliar for a while now, bubbling up in her stomach.  _No, wait-_

The sickness from the night before had returned. Deftly, Aviendha knelt by her trash can, and hurled into the bucket as quietly as she could. Few were even at their desks, and no one paid her any mind. Wiping off the bits left on her mouth and chin with some tissues, and discretely depositing them atop the heap in the trash, Aviendha stood, with a renewed grin. Taking slow and deep breaths, she tried to calm her excited heart, as she began to walk towards the captain's office. 

It was one of those moments, those wonderful moments, when everything is falling into place. The pieces are likely to scatter and break at a later date, but today, in this moment, they were coming together to form the picture of an ideal opportunity. An opportunity that she would pry from those cliquey bastards' cold, dead hands, if necessary. She'd lost enough. It was time to gain something new. Anticipation yelped with glee in one ear, while in the other, that familiar voice whispered words of shy encouragement. She felt the snowflakes on her necklace tickling her neck, and her heartbeat quickened even more.

Aviendha knocked on the door.


	5. Elayne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elayne cooks some soup.

Aviendha glanced out the window, watching as the sunset grew darker, purple pigments filling the sky. The clouds overhead began to rain, the patter of it sprinkling on the rooftop causing a light white noise to pervade her apartment. She closed the blinds, and let out a sigh. For once, bad weather could not deter her mood. Turning around, she glanced downward, to see that Min had apparently arrived. Sitting with the soles of her feet pressed together, Min leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "So does this mean you get a bigger gun?"

"Nah, it just means I get a better title." Aviendha could not stop beaming, and drew out her gun. She chuckled, looking down at the little peashooter in her hand. Pacing around the room, nearly skipping, her news filled her with an unnerving amount of energy. "Still have the regularly issued things- nothing really changes, except that I get to have more fun on the job."

Min shook her head. She scoffed, and rolled her head to glance at Aviendha. "Do you at least get one of those cool vests that says DETECTIVE in big white letters on the front and back? Tell me you at least get one of those boss ass vests."

"Min, it's a task force. Not a television show."

Min sat up, and stuck out her tongue. "A raise?"

"Nope. Just respect."

"Ah, so that's why."

Min let herself fall backwards, splaying her arms out on the dingy carpet. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath. Aviendha chuckled, and sat beside her. "Elayne should be here soon, she just has to put the kids down."

"She could have brought them."

"I don't think she trusts you, not since the incident."

"Come on, that was one time. And they love my tricks- you saw how they were laughing!"

"They are _babies_. They'll laugh at anything."

Min pulled a small butterfly knife from her pocket, and opened it with a swift flick of her wrist. Her hands were small, but then, the woman herself was rather small, at least a head shorter than the detective without her heeled boots. Aviendha watched as Min's fingers tucked the handle and blade around each other, spinning the knife in swirling spirals, appreciating the deft flexibility her fingers portrayed. 

"You know, knives can be used for more than just party tricks." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Min tossed the knife into the air, snatching it back with her opposite hand, resuming the twirls with the same ease.

"All show, no substance. Give it here."

Min swung the blade shut, and handed the knife to Aviendha. She took it, feeling the weight and balance, noting how small it felt in her hands- not even the length of her gun. Comparing the two, she suppressed a smirk, and placed the knife down, producing another from her belt, tucking the glock away. This new blade was less a knife, and more a dagger, with a ridged, sharpened edge, tapering with a lovely curve at the tip. The handle was plain enough that the untrained eye would soon dismiss it as a piece of junk, but Min's eyes widened. 

"Where'd you find that?"

"It was a gift."

Aviendha handled the blade delicately, the way anyone else might manage a kitten, with trepidation, care, and a requisite admiration. Without even bothering to stand, she tossed the blade to her other hand, then back again. She spun the large dagger around her hands, switching between the two almost ambidextrously, slowing slightly with her right hand. Min watched, unimpressed, until Aviendha stopped controlling the handle, instead only touching the blade. Min's mouth opened slightly, betraying her respect. However, her eyes flickered away from the blade a moment too long, and Aviendha realized that she was losing Min's attention.

The dagger then flew through the air, straight past Min's ear. She jumped to her feet, and Aviendha laughed. Whirling around, Min saw the blade just as it sank into the door. A brilliant smile appeared on her face, and Aviendha grinned. A muffled shriek came from the other side of the door, and their smiles broadened. 

"What the FUCK." 

Elayne slammed the door open, nearly knocking it off of its hinges. Glaring at Aviendha, she refused to break eye contact, closing the door enough to pull the blade out. Holding it carefully in front of her, Elayne stepped forward, and spoke softly.

"Do you even want your security deposit back, once you move out of this dump?" She pushed the pillows and dirty clothes off of Aviendha's sunken couch cushions, and sat down. After a moment of consideration, she sank the blade into the arm of the couch, and Min bit her lip to control herself. 

"I would have thought you'd grant me some congratulations, rather than criticism."

"Yes, yes, good fucking job, great fucking news, but god damn it, can I come over once- just ONCE- without nearly getting stabbed? For shit's sake, Avi!"

"Do you kiss your children with that mouth?"

"You bet your ass I do."

Min snorted, and Elayne silenced her with a glare, the sort that one can only manage after becoming a mother. It was only then that Aviendha noticed a brown paper bag in Elayne's lap, with some celery poking out of the top. "You brought snacks?"

Elayne smiled, dropping the stern demeanor. "Min called, said you weren't feeling well. Thought I'd make some soup." Grasping the bag, Elayne stood, and dropped it on Aviendha's counter, atop a stack of notebooks. 

"Thanks, but that's not necessary."

"Shush. If you're going to be dealing with the Seanchan cartel, then you'd better be fucking healthy. If you go to the hospital, it had better be from a gunshot, and not pneumonia!" Aviendha had genuinely never seen someone angrily handle carrots, but somehow, Elayne managed it, though she was still smiling. "I know I can't keep you from getting hurt, but I can try to keep you from getting a cold."

Aviendha rolled her eyes, and stood, walking over to the kitchen countertop, sitting at one of the barstools. "If anyone's going to get shot, it's you, Mrs. Mayor."

"Miss."

"Regardless. I might be in the task force, but you're the one who pushed it through. You're the one whose entire campaign revolved around cleaning up the streets. You're the one who's targeted the Seanchan above the other gangs in the area." Aviendha glanced at the handle of her dagger, still poking out of the arm of her couch. 

Elayne crumpled the paper bag into a ball, and tossed it behind her. It landed in a pile of unidentifiable stuff beside one of the kitchen cabinets that couldn't quite close. "Holy fuck, this place is a mess. Do you need me to hire you a maid?"

"I know where everything is."

"Then where the fuck is your sense of hygeine?"

"Same place as the fucks I give."

"Okay, then what about your knives?"

Aviendha turned her head to look back at her dagger once more.

"Not the things you use to stab people, the things you use to cut vegetables and shit."

"The drawer to your left."

Elayne opened the drawer, and drew out a small paring knife.

Min walked over to the counter, and collapsed into one of the other barstools. "Did Avi tell you that she's making me hire a felon?"

"He's not a felon, he's not being charged with anything. He's just a kid that got into some trouble." Aviendha rested her elbows on the countertop, and placed her chin on folded hands. "And besides, you don't even work at the library. You just show up, organize the books, and read a lot."

"I'm an unofficial employee."

"Loial just thinks you're amusing," Elayne chimed in, "And you have a lot of interesting stories to tell."

"The rights to my life story are definitely worth free books."

Elayne let out an actual laugh, almost a guffaw. "You do know how libraries work, right?"

Min folded her arms, and looked away, pouting. Aviendha placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, squeezing her close. Both shared a look, and Min's face broke out into a sheepish little smile again. Elayne, meanwhile, pulled her curls up into a ponytail, out of her face. Some few locks fell back into her eyes, which she dismissed, as she began to prepare her food. 

The two seated women watched as Elayne gingerly placed an onion on a tiny, clean spot on the counter. Aviendha's arm dropped, and Min sat up again. Elayne spun the onion around, using the knife to swiftly cut off the skin. Tossing the papery components away, she picked up the bright white bulb, and began chopping it almost maniacally, yet evenly. Mesmerized, Min leaned in, while Aviendha tensed up, fearing Elayne might cut her hand. Readjusting the onion, Elayne continued chopping away, never stopping, and in a matter of seconds, the entire onion was successfully and evenly diced, all of the bits landing inside of a prepared pot. She sprinkled some flour and oil on it, on low heat, forming a roux, and looked up only when she heard Min mutter something under her breath.

"Did you say something?"

"Yeah. You win."

Aviendha nodded, and Elayne cocked her head, confused. Rather than questioning them, she dismissed the remark, and accepted her status. The other two continued to watch as Elayne moved about the kitchen, never stopping, unfazed by even the gargantuan butcher's knife. 

"If this place isn't clean by Sunday, I swear, I'll be very disappointed."

"Okay, Mom."

Elayne sniffed, shaking her head, though her smile did not falter. 

**Author's Note:**

> As this is a modern AU, and I changed things significantly, you'll notice that Avi will only have one kid, rather than four, as Min foresaw. This is simply because I want to focus on the three girls, not their kids. 
> 
> Aviendha is serving as a police detective, and Elayne is the newly elected governor. As for Min, she does a lot of things. Rand was a commanding general of the army, and he perished in a battle defending his country, thereby winning a war.
> 
> The chapters will alternate between the perspectives of Avi, Elayne, and Min, not always in that order.


End file.
